Montana Moments | 2020 Edition

My family and I recently took a road trip to Montana. We needed a break from Seattle and we wanted to visit my parents. MT is beautiful this time of year. But I especially like the peace and quiet. It's a 9 hour drive to Columbia Falls, so we broke it up into two days, staying in Spokane overnight. This makes the trip a lot more leisurely and enjoyable. With our borders being closed because of Covid, U.S. road trips are just the ticket right now. We really enjoyed our week away and our visit was just what we needed to recharge. 

The St. Regis Travel Center in St. Regis, MT is always a fun stop along the way. This time I bought some awesome fudge. The top piece is Peanut Butter with Reece's Pieces that my son and I devoured. I bought the bottom piece, Chocolate and Peanut Butter, for my dad. 

When we entered MT, the weather was cool and it was a little rainy. But the air was so fresh. The lowland clouds were neat over the mountains. 

My mom did some baking for us. She made Cinnamon bread, which we all gobbled up for breakfast. One morning my dad enjoyed some hot chocolate with marshmallows with his bread. It looked delicious!  

Most mornings, my mom had this very fresh and colorful bowl of fruit, yogurt, and cereal. Since it was the week of the 4th of July, she was going for a red, white, and blue theme. 

The first couple days of our trip were cool and cloudy. My parents live next to our relatives. This is the path to my aunt and uncle's house. 

I'm glad I had my camera on the walk because I saw some pretty wildflowers. 

After leaving my aunt and uncle's, the sun came out and everything sparkled again. The weather was beautiful for the rest of our trip. 

My mom has a big garden and this year she has tons of strawberries. The were sweet and fresh! One night for dinner, she set out a salad bar and we all created our own salads to start the meal. 

I'm not afraid of my own shadow.
The mountain views from my parent's home are gorgeous. Nature put on a show while we were there. 

Have a s'more!
One of my favorite things about being at my parents place is having campfires. We love to gather around the fire and roast marshmallows. My mom always gets ingredients for s'mores and we have a tasty and memorable time. 

The moon did some wonderful things over the mountain during our visit. It was full during out stay and I couldn't help photographing it.

Once morning my dad made his Buttermilk Pancakes with Chokecherry Syrup. Yum! 

We went hiking up Columbia Mountain. The hike is 6 miles to the top. We hiked 2 miles then we had a picnic lunch. This pretty waterfall we saw during the hike was the highlight for me. 

The view from Columbia Mountain. The mountain across the way is Whitefish Mountain Resort. Can you see the ski trails to the left? 

The pretty waterfall again on our way back down the trail. 

One night there was a double rainbow! 

Soon after the rainbow disappeared, these awesome clouds arrived.  

Hello again, moon. 

Rhubarb muffins my mom baked and fresh watermelon.   

Growing up in Columbia Falls, my favorite treat was DQ for their soft serve treats. I couldn't resist getting something! This is their Oreo and Brownie sundae. 

On the 4th of July, my mom really wanted to make a red, white, and blue dessert. She came up with a strawberry, rhubarb, and huckleberry Upside Down Cake with whipped cream. My son helped her make it. This was my favorite thing I ate the whole trip.

On our way out of town when we left, I couldn't help but stop and capture the colorful Canola Oil Fields. These vibrant fields were all over the Flathead Valley and quite striking. I bet they get a lot of oil from these fields!